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Charles Fea I and Elizabeth Moss

Charles Fea married Elizabeth Moss on 4th September 1810. They had six children:

Charles Fea II who was born at half past six in the evening of 18th October 1811 and married Mary Ann Strouts.

Jane Fea who was born at a quarter past three in the morning of 27th March 1813

Mary Fea who was born at a quarter to eight in the morning of 8th March 1816.

William Charles Fea who was born at a quarter to eight in the morning of 8th March 1816 and married Marie Quensell

Elizabeth Fea was born at half past ten in the evening of 12th August 1817. She died on 7th October 1835.

Harriet Fea who was born at a quarter to seven in the morning of 15th November 1818. She died on 21st March 1837.

Charles Fea was in business as a wool stapler and ran a large enterprise. According to an account by his son, Charles Fea II, his father failed in business in the winter of 1836-37 during the financial panic. He had three warehouses filled with wool purchased when the price of wool was high. Two of the warehouses were in Canterbury and one in Charing, Kent.

Details of his bankruptcy can be gleaned from "The Times" of 23rd November 1836:

BANKRUPTS

Charles Fea, Canterbury, woolstapler. Dec 2 at 1 o'clock, Jan 3 at 11, at the Bankrupt's Court: Solicitors, Messrs Miller and Dyson, Bedford-Row; official assignee, Mr Green, Aldermanbury.

The Times, 23rd November 1836 - page 1, column c

Further details are given in "The Times" of 3rd December 1836: >Further details are given in "The Times" of 3rd December 1836:

BANKRUPTCY COURT, Basinghall-Street, Dec 2

(Before Mr Commissioner MERIVALE)
IN RE FEA

The final meeting of the creditors under this commission was called today for the purpose of appointing an assignee to the estate out of the body of creditors. The bankrupt was a woolstapler at Canterbury, and one of the largest in the County of Kent, with a business of 30 years standing; his liabilities are understood to amount to about 15,000 pounds; with assets to meet the same of about 10,000 pounds.

His failure which took place in October last is attributed by some to the suspension of payment by Messrs Woollet and Co of London and other houses in Belgium and France with whom he had dealings which greatly embarrassed his bill transactions.

The petitioning creditor, Mr Jerimiah Smith, of Cadbury, a grazier, provided for the sum of 1,589 pounds 11s. Other proofs were afterwards put in, and the claims entered during the proceedings of the meeting were estimated at 2,689 pounds 5s 6d.

Mr J Smith was then proposed by Mr Dyson, the solicitor to the flat, to take the trust and appointment of assignee to the estate, which having been agreed to by the creditors he was duly installed in that office.

The Times, 3rd December 1836 - page 6, column c

The bankruptcy must have had quite an effect on the family. Their oldest son, Charles Fea, was engaged. He married in February 1837 and emigrated to the US, the following year. William Fea, their other son, left for Peru in September of that year and it was nine or ten years before he returned to England.